French fryer



Patented May l, 19951 -UmrED STATES' PATENT OFFICE j 4 FRENCH FRYER .Kenneth E. Bemis, oakland, Calif. Application December 23, 1946, Serial No. 7417*;81f7` 7 claims. (cl. 99-410) l i This inventiony relates to improvements in deep-fat fryers particularly those used for cooking French fried and shoe-string potatoes, and provides apparatus which maintains theV main v body of fatfree of particles of potatoes to be,

jor being fried, because the containers or baskets for the potato strips are so arranged as to make it impossible for any of the strips to bypass the baskets to reach the `main body of fat. 'The baskets maintain a complete closure for the main body of fat at all times, during and including the intervals between cooking periods, there never being any opening through which a strip of potato can bypass the baskets.

With conventional French fryers, containers such as woven wire baskets are used, but they usually lift entirely `out of the openings provided for'them, and whether raised or lowered there is always ample space for strips of potato to bypass them. These strips or portions remain in the hotfat until such time `as the fat container or vessel is cleaned and consequently they'c'har to a crisp, causing pollution ofthe fat and a scorched'avor which reduces the delectability of the French fried or shoestring potatoes.'

My invention overcomes such disadvantages of conventional French fryers, through controlled handling of thebaskets whichlimit the lift, and by forming the openings for Vthe baskets to just clear their peripheries,` and by providing' walled compartments into which the baskets are lowered.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a French fryer which is devoid of passages through which potato strips can bypass the containers for the strips.

Second, to provide a Frenchfryer withvwalled compartments into :which the containers are lowered withthe walls of the compartments just clearing the peripheries of the containers.

Third, to provide a French fryer asoutlined with means for limiting the lift of the baskets to a pointgwhere no direct passage is provided to the main body of fat.

Fourth, to provide a French fryer as outlined with lifting and associated means which lowers and raises the containers on an evenkeel and which tips the containers forward through the terminal portion of the lift for convenience in removing the fried potatoes, and returns the container to an even keel during the initial lowering movement. p

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a'plan viewv of the invention with the lifting yoke shown in section and compares to a section taken on line' l-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1j. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view 'of the'tipping means lfor the baskets showing the compartment side walls and front screen and corresponds to a section taken on 1inef 3'- 3 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. '4 shows an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the basket leveling 'means looking in the direction 4"`4 of Fig.f1

' Fig. 5V is a broken fragmentary sectional eleva- Y tion of the basket bail and corresponds to a section taken alonglS-'Sof Fig. 2.

This inventionis related to my copendingapplication Serial No.'71'7`,878 led December 23, 1946, which issued on December 21, 1948, as Patentl No. 2,456,810,for French Frying Apparatus, and includes a cabinet II] in which is supported a container `I-| for" the fryingoil or fat I2. A cover I 3 is removably supported in this container as indicated at I4 and this cover has an opening lfrom which depends a central partition I6 dividing the opening into two compartments hav' ing the respective sidewalls I1 and I8 and which partition and side walls extend downwardly into*` the bath I2 to form a pair of channels for circulation of the fat, and a screen I9 depends from the cover at each, the front and rear end, of each compartment and extends to a level below the top 2D of the basket 2l when it is in itslowered" position indicated vat 22." Y

The baskets are constructed of foraminousl material, generally of woven wire with a mesh as large as possible without permitting passage of a potato strip, so that the pulsative circulating means shown at 23 candrive the Vhot fat'forwardly into and through'thepbasket and withdraw a part with each revolution, v4the paddle wheel being driven ythrough bevel gears 24 by a? motor 25, this feature beingclaimed in the co.`

pending application previously'mentioned.

The baskets have only passing clearance with in the compartment`s,'and t close enough all around so that evenshoe-string strips cannot pass between the basket and either wall or screen,4

irrespective'of whethenthebasket is in a raised position indicated at. 26er a lowered position in;

,cured on the inside of the basket as indicated at 3|.Qfwithin stop members 32 which permit the basket to tip forward as shown at 26 in Fig 2 but which'maintains the basket on an even keel after the ,top of the basket has been lowered to the level of the cover i3, the element 32 being channel shaped, and at least one of the bail arms being biased as indicated at 33 to permit the basket to tip forward but being stopped from tipping in the opposite direction bythe straight'sidezfSMthe tipped positionof thebasket being indicated at 26' in Figs. 2 and 4, and the even keel or level posifV tion at 22 and 26'.

The lever 29 is operated to raise the basket by suitable combined timing and operating means indicated at 35 which raises the-lever and the basket after a predetermined time-elapseperiod.

This timing and operating means may be of any suitable type and does not form a part of this ifnvention.

A lipY 3'6 is 'provided' at the forward end of each compartment to engage the front of the basket as it is lifted to cause the; basket to tip forward .SD that the fried potatoes 31 will gather at the forward; end: of the; basket. for convenient removal when. the basket has been raised to its maximum height. Y It: will be noted that the basketst very'closely within the compartments, having just. sufiicient clearanceY tof4 preventfbinding; or holding, and that this close-fit. isa maintained during the raising and lowering movements, when: the basket is inV its lowest position. as.V well as in itsA highest position, there never being: any space. sufficiently large to pass even strips ofthe smallest crosssection, that the baskets are:- automatically tipped forward during; the nar raising movementy and remain, so.y for removing thee potatoes; and upon loweringthebasketis; initially'returned to a level position. and lowered. in. that. level position to the lowermostiposition. The pin- 38: limits the. heightl to which the lever 2,9.l can be raised.,

'1.,V A= French. fryer comprising; a fat receptacle having. a front wall and' a cover; said cover hav ing.' an opening: of. less extentthan said receptacle and opening: thereinto and having a. lip projec..y ing: inwardly from thefront of: the. opening. and depending: front, back and' side walls surrounding-said opening; a. baskethaving straight frontt and sidewalls, and; a curved back wall 'having' its. axis. atthe. top of" the frontzrwall; said` basket. being slidable within the confines; of.- said. front, back: and side walls.` surrounding said opening and with the top-` of the front Wall of? theA basketf'engaging. the underside; of saidf li'p and the rear end of" the4 basket swinging. "abouti the fulcrum formed by" said lifp and; maintaining` the opening. closed' duringk ti'ltingiof the. basket whilei raising.v tof a. predetermined elevation, wl'ierebyI upon rais ing the basket the. contents are; gathered at the:l front'. of the. basket and'.V the. opening i's main.- tained closed. against'. entrance oizextraneous. ma-

. terialf.

2. A. structure. as. deilnedirr claim, 15;. a baill for; said' basket andi being pivotedE at; the upper-end: forwardlyofthe longitudinali center of; thebasket' and: including stop means: for' limitingz the, tiltf and consequently the degree. of raising of, the

4 basket, and second stop means to limit righting vofthe basket to a level position when the basket is lowered.

, 3. A structure as defined in claim l; said front, back and side walls surrounding said opening comprising solid side walls and foraminous front and back walls for limiting circulation of fat through the basket to one direction.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1: a bail for said' basket and rbeing pivotedgat the upper end yforwardlyfof the longitudinal' center of the basket and including stop means for limiting the tilt and consequently theV degree of raising of the basket, and second stop means to limit righting of the basket to a level position when the basket is: loweredf;r said front, back and side walls surrounding` said. opening comprising solid side walls andA forami'nous front and back walls for limiting circulation of fat through the basket to one direction.

5.. A French fryer comprising; a receptacle having a cover having an opening having a front end with a lip projecting inwardly; a dependent. side wall on each side of saidopening and a dependenty screen at each, the. front and back of saidv opening; a basket slidable between said dependent walls and screens with. the front end of the basket engageable with said lip to fulcrum thereabout when the rear end of the. basket is raised through theA opening, and with the. back wa-ll of the basket formed to an arc havingits axis at said fulcrum to.` maintainV the opening closed against entraceof extraneous material to the receptacle when the, basket. is raised to a tilted. position with the lower portion of therear end of the basketv coincident with the cover at thev rear end of the opening. 1

6..V A structure as defined in claim; a. bail pivotallyattached to-the sides of said basket. forward of thecenter thereof., andy stop meanscooperati-ve between the bail and thebasket to.v limit forward tilt when the basket is raised, and. second. stop means cooperative between the basket and the bail for limiting reverse tilting. of the basket to a level position.` f

7. A structure as defined in claim 5 ;y alever pivotally supported at one end andY having said bail pivotally supported intermediate thereof; said lever being movable toy two` positions for respectively raising and-lowering said basket.

KENNETH E. BEMIS.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the iil'e of thisv patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 217,378 Hodges July 8, 1879 670,296 Richardson Mar. 19, 1901 1,198,374V Overbury Sept. 12, 1916 1,277,158 Wall Aug. 27., 1918 1,576,321 Gasser Mar.. 9, 1926 2,004,500v Brunelle. June 11, 19.35` 2,078,719 Roach Apr. 27, 1937y 42,097,471 Scharsch Nov. 2, 1937 2,109,212 -EhrgOtt Feb. 22, 1938 2,175,531 Kortum Oct. 10, 1939 2,222,314 Husk Nov. 19, 19.40 

